For some parents, it's already become abundantly clear there's one thing they might need to budget for a bit more these days: all the snacks. Every time our kids are home from school for an extended period of time — summer break for example — the refrigerator and cupboards seem to empty at lightning speed. Some of us are just a couple weeks into the school break and already realizing something's gotta give.
If your child has plowed through the reserve boxes of Goldfish and every last clementine in a matter of hours versus days, and there's no way you're heading back to Costco for a replenishment already, you're not alone. Thankfully, Indiana mom Jennifer Hallstrom was once in the same boat and came up with a smart solution. And if your kids aren't out of school just yet, lucky you! Now, you'll know what to do before the issue even arises.
More from CafeMom: 20 Healthy Snacks to Feed Hungry Kids Who Burn Lots of Energy
In a Facebook post, Hallstrom said she kept seeing parents lament that their kids want to eat all day while they're home.
The mom of three picked up on the problem during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic when schools were shut down and kids were home all day.
After seeing lots of parents in her Facebook food complain about the constant snacking, she presented her fix: "Each child has their own colored basket. In the morning, I put their snacks in it for the day, when those snacks are gone they don’t get any more. It makes them stop and think do I really need a snack? I also put their cup for the day in there because I’m not washing 50 cups a day! Hahaha!"
Brilliant.
Parents applauded the mom for her innovative idea.
In fact, the post quickly went viral, racking up 460K shares and over 289K reactions.
As with any viral post, there were a smattering of negative remarks, to which Hallstrom replied in an edit to her original post. "I didn’t think I had to say this, but my children eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are well-fed, and I don’t starve them. Sad I even have to say that. Also, in no way, shape, or form am I fat shaming my children."
Hallstrom tells CafeMom that she was inspired to come up with this system as soon as constant snacking became an issue.
She also got nervous hearing from other parents on social media. "I just kept seeing, 'well, there went our quarantine snacks,' and I knew I’d be next if I didn’t do something!'" she explains.
In an edit to her original post, the mom explains that laying out tons of cash on backup snacks wasn't an option.
"I just don’t have the luxury of spending $400 on just snacks for a week," Hallstrom wrote.
She attributes her kids' cravings to 'just being home.'
But there are other factors, too. "Boredom and self-control both play into it with my children," Hallstrom acknowledges.
With the new system, the Hallstrom kids are sure to be more thoughtful about their snacking.
That said, one thing's sure to remain the same: the types of treats the kids prefer. Hallstrom shares, "I never buy fruit snacks, but they begged me to. Those always go first. Then, the fruit!"
